March 15, 2011 · 10:23 pm

Don’t be wedded to every tradition – Other Views – NewsObserver.com

Great Op-Ed from the Reverend Douglas Long in the Raleigh News and Observer yesterday about people using the Bible to define “traditional” marriage.

As Shakespeare said, “the devil can cite scripture for his purpose.”

So, let’s give it a rest.

It’s also a great response to the infamous Dr Laura Schlessinger comments/letter about Leviticus and homosexuality floating around the web…

Here’s an excerpt and a link to the full editorial at the bottom…

Hat tip to Pam’s House Blend where I originally saw part of this….

The truth of the matter is that the Bible is not a good source supporting monogamous and mutual marriage that our society and culture has evolved to embrace.

More systematically than considering a favorite passage here and there, Vaughn Roste, the son of two Canadian Lutheran pastors with a seminary degree of his own, has undertaken a comprehensive study of passages in the Bible, researching more than 800 Biblical references that deal with marriage. He distilled from that study what he refers to as “The 12 Biblical Principles of Marriage.” In summary, in the Bible:

  • Marriage consists of one man and one or more women.
  • Nothing prevents a man from taking on concubines in addition to the wife or wives he may already have.
  • The concept of a woman giving her consent to being married is foreign to the biblical mindset.
  • If a woman cannot be proven to be a virgin at the time of marriage, she shall be stoned
  • For those who claim these are all Old Testament laws and that the New Testament supersedes them, consider in the New Testament that:
  • Women are allowed to marry the man of their father’s choosing … because women are the property of their father until married and their husband afterwards.
  • Interfaith marriages are prohibited.
  • If a man dies childless, his brother must marry the widow
  • Divorce is forbidden, and finally …
  • It’s better, according to St. Paul, to not get married at all.

The point is this, anyone can pick and choose a verse or phrase from the Bible which, taken alone and literally, will appear to support their argument. While people of the Judaic-Christian tradition may disagree on the propriety of same-gender marriage, can we at least agree to not misuse the Bible in the process?

More: Don’t be wedded to every tradition – Other Views – NewsObserver.com.

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March 15, 2011 · 9:49 pm

So You Want to Write a Novel

Posted without comment as this says it all….

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March 15, 2011 · 7:39 pm

Daily Kos: Voters trending towards Obama, away from GOP on deficit, economy

More from DailyKos on today’s poll numbers…

Please click the link for their detailed analysis…

DemFromCT took a detailed look at the latest ABC/Washington Post numbers earlier today, but I think these numbers bear repeating:

Chart based on ABC/Washington Post polling data (Source)

Chart

So since their post-election honeymoon, the GOP has had something of a nightmare, dropping a net of 13 points on who voters trust to deal with economy and an amazing 17 points on the federal budget deficit.

Although it’s somewhat surprising to see their numbers fall so quickly, it was bound to happen: not only have Republicans failed to do a single thing to improve the jobs situation, they are way out-of-step with the public on fiscal issues.

If Republicans keep this up, Democrats might be able to seriously talk about retaking the House.

via Daily Kos: Voters trending towards Obama, away from GOP on deficit, economy.

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March 15, 2011 · 7:22 pm

The 100 Most Famous MOVIE QUOTES

 

 

On the lighter side…

From one of my other interest-besides Politics- Movies!

Hmm…seems many could apply to Politics!

From the American Film Institute…

Here are the first 30 most famous movie quotes of all time…

You can click the link at the bottom to see them all….

 

# FILM YEAR STUDIO
1 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
2 I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. THE GODFATHER 1972
3 You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. ON THE WATERFRONT 1954
4 Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
5 Here’s looking at you, kid. CASABLANCA 1942
6 Go ahead, make my day. SUDDEN IMPACT 1983
7 All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up. SUNSET BLVD. 1950
8 May the Force be with you. STAR WARS 1977
9 Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night. ALL ABOUT EVE 1950
10 You talking to me? TAXI DRIVER 1976
11 What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. COOL HAND LUKE 1967
12 I love the smell of napalm in the morning. APOCALYPSE NOW 1979
13 Love means never having to say you’re sorry. LOVE STORY 1970
14 The stuff that dreams are made of. THE MALTESE FALCON 1941
15 E.T. phone home. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982
16 They call me Mister Tibbs! IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 1967
17 Rosebud. CITIZEN KANE 1941
18 Made it, Ma! Top of the world! WHITE HEAT 1949
19 I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! NETWORK 1976
20 Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. CASABLANCA 1942
21 A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 1991
22 Bond. James Bond. DR. NO 1962
23 There’s no place like home. THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
24 I am big! It’s the pictures that got small. SUNSET BLVD. 1950
25 Show me the money! JERRY MAGUIRE 1996
26 Why don’t you come up sometime and see me? SHE DONE HIM WRONG 1933
27 I’m walking here! I’m walking here! MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969
28 Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’ CASABLANCA 1942
29 You can’t handle the truth! A FEW GOOD MEN 1992
30 I want to be alone.

 

via AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 MOVIE QUOTES.

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March 15, 2011 · 7:03 pm

Lawmaker’s Wife Joins Recall Effort Against Him

More Family Values Republicans…

Wisconsin state Sen. Randy Hopper’s (R) wife has signed a recall petition against him, according to New York magazine.

She also tells the Fond du Lac Reporter Hopper doesn’t even live in the district as state law requires of lawmakers. Instead, he lives with his 25-year old mistress.

via Lawmaker’s Wife Joins Recall Effort Against Him.

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March 15, 2011 · 7:01 pm

Public Policy Polling: Brutal numbers for Kasich, SB 5

More Buyer’s Remorse with the GOP Governor in Ohio….

I do hope the tied is turning and lasts through the 2012 elections…

Elections have consequences and we are seeing them now with the out of control GOP Governors and House….

There are two things particularly notable in the crosstabs on all of these questions. The first is that non-union households are supportive of the public employees. 54% support their collective bargaining rights to 36% in opposition and 44% say they would vote to repeal SB 5 to 38% who would let it stand. Obviously that level of support is not nearly as high as among union households but it still shows that the workers have even most of the non-union public behind them.

The other thing that’s worth noting is the independents. A lot of attention has been given to the way what’s been going on in Ohio and Wisconsin is galvanizing the Democratic base, but it’s also turning independents who were strongly supportive of the GOP in the Midwest last year back against the party. 62% of independents support collective bargaining for public employees to 32% opposed and 53% support repeal of SB 5 to 32% who would let it stand.

All of this is having an absolutely brutal effect on John Kasich’s numbers. We find him with just a 35% approval rating and 54% of voters disapproving of him. His approval with people who voted for him is already all the way down to 71%, while he’s won over just 5% of folks who report having voted for Ted Strickland last fall. Particularly concerning for him is a 33/54 spread with independents.

Voters in the state are having significant buyers remorse about the results of last fall’s election. In a rematch 55% say they would now vote for Ted Strickland to just 40% who would vote for Kasich. Because this is a sample of all registered voters in the state and not just those who voted in last fall’s Republican heavy electorate the self identified 2010 vote of this sample is 49% for Strickland and 46% for Kasich but that still suggests a 12 point movement toward Strickland among those surveyed over the last four months.

via Public Policy Polling: Brutal numbers for Kasich, SB 5.

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March 15, 2011 · 6:54 pm

Poll: Budget Impasse Cements Public’s Disapproval of Washington – The Washington Post

Interesting Poll results out today from the Washington Post/ABC News.

In summary, everyone thinks government is broken, many more people trust President Obama to handle the economy than the GOP and people have lost faith in the Republicans on the economy.

Serious Buyers Remorse on the GOP Congress….

The early battles in Washington this year have cemented the public’s disapproval of the political system and the country’s leadership, with confidence in congressional Republicans sagging and majorities disapproving of how President Obama is handling top domestic issues, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

In a sweeping indicator of dissatisfaction with Washington, just 26 percent of Americans say they are optimistic about “our system of government and how well it works,” a low point in polls dating to 1974. This gloomy assessment is shared by Democrats and Republicans, even as they agree on little else.

AND

When it comes to dealing with issue No. 1, the economy, Obama has an advantage: 46 percent say they put more faith in the president, 34 percent say so about congressional Republicans. Obama has a similar 12-point lead on the question of who better understands the economic problems people face, and a nine-point edge on dealing with the deficit.

via Poll: Budget impasse cements public’s disapproval of Washington – The Washington Post.

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March 15, 2011 · 7:28 am

Michigan’s GOP Gov. Slashes Corporate Tax Rate by 86 Percent, Hikes Taxes for Working Poor | AlterNet

Again, I ask:  “Why are people putting up with this?”

These new radical Republican Governors are cutting the Corporate Tax rates while screaming about budget shortfalls.  That’s irresponsible.

Then they are cutting services for women, the poor, minorities, public employees and students.   That is immoral.

I think we are going to see more people in the streets- like in Wisconsin- before this is over.  Of course, the GOP will probably just call out the National Guard to clear them out…

And to my fellow North Carolinians:  Our new GOP Legislature is trying to figure out how to get some of these policies past our Democratic Gov….

From AlterNet:

As we’ve been documenting, several conservative governors have proposed placing the brunt of deficit reduction onto the backs of their state’s public employees, students, and middle-class taxpayers, while simultaneously trying to enact corporate tax cuts and giveaways. Govs. Rick Scott (R-FL), Tom Corbett (R-PA), and Jan Brewer (R-AZ) have all gone down this road.

Following suit, Gov. Rick Snyder (R-MI) has proposed ending his state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, cutting a $600 per child tax credit, and reducing credits for seniors, while also cutting funding for school districts by eight to ten percent. At the same time, as the Michigan League for Human Services found, the state’s business taxes would be reduced by nearly $2 billion, or 86 percent, under Snyder’s plan:

Business taxes would be cut by 86 percent from an estimated $2.1 billion in FY 2011 to $292.7 million in FY 2013, the first full year of the proposed tax changes…Taxes on individuals from the state income tax would rise by $1.7 billion or nearly 31 percent, from an estimated $5.75 billion in FY 2011 to $7.5 billion in FY 2013, the first full year of the tax changes.

As the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found, the practical upshot of Snyder’s tax increases is to place even more of a burden on Michigan’s poorest residents, who will see a bigger hike than those at the upper end of the income scale:

via Michigan’s GOP Gov. Slashes Corporate Tax Rate by 86 Percent, Hikes Taxes for Working Poor | AlterNet.

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March 15, 2011 · 7:22 am

The Shameless Right-Wing Lies That Ousted an NPR CEO | | AlterNet

When will the  Democrats learn to at least attempt to fight before surrendering?

This James O’Keefe guy is a pathological liar, yet the press still accepts his “films” as evidence against first Acorn, then Shirley Jackson, then Planned Parenthood and now NPR.

I’ll be even more blunt:  He is lying, manipulative scum and has been proven so on numerous occasions.  CNN did a relatively good expose’ on him when he tried to take down one of their reporters.

Why is anyone paying attention to him?

Now even his fellow pathological liar Glenn Beck has point out that O’Keefe doctors his videos and manipulates them to portray things that never happened.

Why isn’t he in jail or at least sued to the point of Bankruptcy?

From AlterNet:

It should come as no surprise that James O’Keefe is an unethical liar who produces deliberately deceptive videos to smear his political opponents. That’s been proven on many occasions. What’s surprising is that is that anyone in the media still pays any attention to him, much less takes actions based on his fictional accounts of staged events. Now even Glenn Beck’s web site, The Blaze, is confirming O’Keefe’s disreputability after having analyzed O’Keefe’s latest videos attacking National Public Radio.

via The Shameless Right-Wing Lies That Ousted an NPR CEO | | AlterNet.

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March 14, 2011 · 10:55 pm

The Following People Are Going to Hell | My Southern Gothic Life

New post is up on my other blog…

Now I don’t even believe in Hell, but I do find the idea comforting at times.

I like to think there is some sort of devine retribution for those who commit truly heinous acts against their fellowman- or their tastes and sensibilites.

I used to make mental lists of people I wanted to be in First Class on the first intergalactic, passenger carrying, nuclear missle, but I couldn’t think of anyone I hated enough to seat them next to Kathy Lee Gifford.

Instead, I’ve gone back to the simple idea that these people will spend eternity burning in hell.  Please note:  All these people are supposedly still living, therefore there  is time for them to atone for their sins.

Click here for the List:   The Following People Are Going to Hell | My Southern Gothic Life.

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